The inner workings of an author's mind

Daily Archives: February 17, 2016

I’ve mentioned before how I write notes while I’m at work. How I have the story I’m working on in the back of my brain, always working, plotting, thinking, writing. That’s basically always the case all time, whether current story or future.

But right this minute, I’m in the in between.

Right after I finish writing a book, I enter this kind of…holding pattern. I need time to decompress. And I’m never ready to let my boys go that quickly. There always needs to be some downtime after. I mean, I’m not quite done with them yet of course. Over the next couple of weeks I’ll be working on comments the betas send in and tweaking and editing and shining up my work as much as I am able on my own. But still I need to downshift, to go from writing mode to relaxing mode.

I don’t write every day, even when I’m in the zone. I may write for several days in a row, but ultimately, I work better when I have a huge chunk of time and can really get into the zone and just write. But even when it’s been several days, or a week or two, since I’ve actually opened the document and put real words there, I’m still working on the story. Those aforementioned notes, for one thing. And the always thinking about it.

But now I’m in the weird space where I’m taking a break, which I need and want, and yet I feel itchy and strange NOT to be writing and working and thinking. It’ll give way soon, and I’ll be in full on relaxed mode until the next idea strikes.

Okay, I’m actually pretty sure I know what’s next on the docket, but I’m not giving it brain time right now. Well, not really. Some brain time is happening just because that’s how it works, but we’ll see how the story coalesces. Or if something else swoops in to take its place. (When I get going, you can check status on the WIPs page at the top, if you wish)

But ultimately, right now, I’m in the in between. Not yet fully done with the last one, not yet working on the new one. And my brain is working on downshifting, so that it can idle, until I’m ready to rev it into high gear again.